The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Begins Production, Win A Chance To Visit The Set

The first film in the franchise only came out six months ago, but today Lionsgate has announced that production has officially begun on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The sequel to the blockbuster hit The Hunger Games and based on the book by Suzanne Collins, the new movie is being directed by Francis Lawrence (Water For Elephants, Constantine) and will feature returning stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland, as well as franchise newcomers such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Lynn Cohen and Amanda Plummer.

The movie will primarily be shooting in existing locations in and around Atlanta, Georgia, but there will also be on-location shooting in the jungles and on the beaches of Hawaii. The plan is to wrap production in late December 2012 (which would free up Lawrence to return as Mystique in X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is gearing up to start production in January). The film is already set for a release date on November 22, 2013.

But while fans will likely just be excited that the movie is moving into production, there is even more good news out there. Lionsgate has also announced a global set visit sweepstakes that will give twelve people the chance to visit the set of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The contest will run between September 10th and October 12th. To enter, follow the instructions below:

To enter, fans based in the participating territories (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Russia, Israel, and Japan) will upload a :30 second video of their top question for the film’s cast. Additionally, "virtual" citizens of Panem will be able to enter by playing The Hunger Games Adventures - one of the top adventure games on Facebook and coming soon to iPad.